Boy, the gaffes keep coming. BHO and Biden must have bet going as to who can commit the most gaffes. First, it's DVD's that won't play in Great Britain in exchange for a symbolic and sentimental gift that signifies America and Great Britain's close ties and rock-solid friendship, then it's calling America arrogant, now this: an American President bowing to a foreign leader. Geez. Someone get this guy a protocol aide. His protocol aide must be the same numbnuts who went to a Wal-Mart in the States to pick-up the DVD's for Prime Minister Brown.

The media built this guy up as smart, suave, and the panacea for all that ails us. Yet, we got a President who's bound to a teleprompter, insults Americans when abroad, and gives childish gifts to foreign leaders, and bows to the leader of Saudi Arabia. Talk about a false idol.

Again, if Bush had done this - especially to a leader of an oil-rich nation - the American MSM would be all over this; citing it as proof that he's in the their back pocket. But Obama? Free pass; he's irreproachable. We built this guy up and we ain't gonna tear him down, even if his behavior abroad irreverent - which would be fine if he weren't an elected official, and not just any elected official, at that; he's our representative to the world.

Well, I finally bought my new bike. I opted for the Fuji Nevada 3.0. I rode a few bikes and had narrowed my choices down to two: the Giant Rincon or the Fuji Nevada. Fuji is not as known for mountain bikes as Giant or Trek or Cannondale but I liked it a little more than the Giant when comparing how they felt when I rode them. I ordered the bike last Tuesday and picked it up on Friday. Friday was a rainy day and I didn't think I'd get a ride in but the rain broke by mid-afternoon so I was able to get it out for about six miles. I would have ridden it before I took it home but the rain prevented me from doing so. If so, I would have had the guy tighten up the front brakes. They are a little loose for my liking. I tried to tighten them myself but I ended up with a rub when I did. The bike has disc brakes and about six places you can stick an allan wrench into so I finally got the rub gone but I am back to square one. I will take it back soon to have that adjusted. My guess is that he left them loose on purpose. I haven't hit it enough to give a thorough evaluation yet but today is looking good - 60F and no wind like yesterday.

update (11pm 04/05) - I did 17 miles on the bike today. Mostly paved bike path but some gravel and some dirt and mud too. In gears 3-7 and 3-8 the chain rubs a little in the front. Getting into 3rd requires holding the shift lever a little longer but it's not anything major. Other than that, everything went fine. I didn't bottom out the fork but it looks like I maxed out around 1.25 inches or so judging by where the dust ring begins. I like it. My legs are sore. When I do a 30 or 40 miler this summer remind me not to do a 5K the day before.

That's what I ran the 5K in this morning. That's slightly better than a 12 minute mile and good for about a 5.2 mph average. I hit the first mile at 11:46. The race wasn't too hard but the weather was brutal - low 40's but WINDY; felt more like February than April. But, I did it.

...pretty lame gift, especially from one who's supposed to be an intellectual. Some DVD's and a few toys

for a pen holder carved from the timbers of the sister ship of the one the White House desk is made from and a first edition of a seven-volume biography of Winston Churchill, the Mail is appalled that "Barack Obama, the leader of the world's richest country" gave Brown a box set of 25 DVDs

If Bush had committed this egregious gaffe CNN, MSNObama, ABC, and CBS would have covered this 24/7 and ranted on how he insulted our biggest ally. All news about the economy would have been tabled so as to stoke ire in the American people about a president who thinks only of movies and toys. But, since this was Obama, there was very little mention by our ass-kissing, tingle up my leg, inept, incompetent, and feeble media.

I am ready for my first official 5K this coming Saturday. I have run about four unofficial 5K's over the past month - two on the treadmill and at least two 3+ mile routes through the neighborhood. My plan this week is: did the gym yesterday (2.5 on the treadmill and some lifting), bike today (about 7 mi), rest Wed., gym Thursday (light - 1.5-2, then lift), rest Friday with a dinner of enriched pasta. Saturday, I plan on a banana and maybe a fiber bar for breakfast around 7:30-8 and the race is slated for around 9.

Weather looks favorable - low of 40 Friday night so that means probably high 40's to 50 or so at race time, no rain in the forecast either.

I look to upgrade from my $125 Sears bike that I bought in 1996. It has served me well and I will keep it as a backup. I test-rode a Trek 3900 the other day and it was nice and I may buy one. Other models I am considering are the Cannondale F9, Gary Fisher Tarpon, and Giant Boulder (an odd-sounding name for a bike). I am also scouting for used bikes on Craigslist and Ebay but will likely buy something new. Some general research has unveiled that Trek and Gary Fisher (Trek owns Gary Fisher) bikes are likely made in China by Giant, a Taiwanese company, and Giant makes most of their bikes in Taiwan and China. So, I may end up just going with Giant. I would like to ride one or two before I commit but I haven't ruled out Gary Fisher or Trek entirely. I also want to test-ride the F9 too, a lower-priced Cannondale which means it's contracted out and probably made in the same plant as the Treks and Fishers. I will likely have my new bike in a few weeks, just in time for this early-spring-but-still-frigid weather to break. I look forward to prime biking season and can't wait to get my new toy and go out and play.

Earlier this week I got an email from payroll about some stimulus plan that just kicked in and that some of us might see less federal taxes taken out.

So, my check was $7 more.

Payday happened to coincide with the day my IRA statement came.

Keep the "change" coming!

It will take longer than 28 quarters to recoup my losses. Hoping, of course, that the market will come back. Given the current competence level of the executive and legislative branches of our government, one can't be too sure.

Someone emailed me this with the subject "Americans Following Obama":

...and this acronym:

OBAMA: One Big Ass Mistake America

Only time will tell. However, had the market dropped 20% seven weeks into Bush's first term*, there would've been calls for a recall or impeachment.

...that so many of us voted for "change." I really enjoy watching 13 years of investing dwindle into nothing. </sarc>

Gee, let's vote in a left of left liberal to complement the nincompoops in Congress; you know, that Democratic majority of nincompoops we elected in in 2006. Worst congress ever (approval ratings much lower than Bush and a historic Gallup low) and an inexperienced candidate - and one who was part of that congress; yeah, that'll work.

I think it's time for a recall; not just of the President but of congress too.

Whatever the current dopes in congress are pushing, our President, if he cared for the average American, would DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE!

Instead of talking down the economy, try to pump it up1. Everything that this current lot does, sends the DJA into another tailspin. If you're heading over the falls, turn around and paddle faster in the OPPOSITE direction. Idiots.

Say what you want about Dubya, but at least he held the ship together. This current lot is bailing us out by poking holes in the hull. Frankly, I am surprised they are smart enough to even do that but I guess if you try to shoot yourself in the foot long enough, eventually you'll hit it.

Maybe under Dubya people didn't have confidence in his Presidency but at least there was confidence in business. Now, there is no confidence in business and no confidence in the presidency. Businesses at least usually find ways to make money. Government only looks for ways to spend money and nothing could be truer today.

As of now, the Bush years seemed pretty darn good. Things didn't start to slide until the 110th Congress took office and the major meltdowns didn't really happen until the polls started indicating that BHO's lead over McCain was insurmountable for McCain and thus became imminent that BHO would win the election. And once he did, things got even worse2.

And let's not forget the media that began cheering for a recession after the 2004 election. Repeat a lie often enough and it does become truth. Treasonous bastards.

Hopefully, I should have time to recoup these losses. Unfortunately, many don't.

1 No sooner than I type this, Ben Bernanke says that the recession may end this year and stocks get an upwards bounce; good, even if it's a small step. Think positive. Let's see of BHO negates this by talking down the economy again tonight during his address.

2Frankly, I think this meltdown was too well timed to be the result people who can't pay their mortgages. The sh*t hit the fan after McCain got the bump from the Palin announcement. I think some bigwig liberals with lots of money (George Soros types) had a plan in place in case the Republican nominee was leading or rising in the polls 8-10 weeks out from election day. Call me crazy and maybe I'm wrong but we'll know for sure in perhaps 10 years or so. We could know sooner if anyone in the media cared to investigate this odd coincidence but don't hold your breath. I'm not convinced that this isn't an October surprise gone awry or, perhaps worse, a carefully crafted plan to force drastic socialist-type policies into our lives. An October surprise is supposed to be something with some truthful elements spun the right way that it taints the character or questions the ability of the candidate, not something that wrecks the economy and puts people's jobs and retirement savings in jeopardy. This time, someone went way too far.

I registered today for my first ever 5K. The race will be on the first Saturday of April.

I need to keep on with my current training schedule - running (weather permitting) or the treadmill at the gym; four days a week. All things considered, I find straight running much easier than a treadmill. Maybe it's the intimidation of the digital screen showing every tick of 1/100 of a mile or maybe it's just that's stationary and boring. Of course, I've been lifting at the gym and I will hit the bike when it's warm enough too.

I didn't know this until about a week ago, but Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin were both born on February 12, 1809. Both great men in their chosen careers, yes, and both controversial during their time, with Darwin still being a subject of controversy. Nonetheless, happy 200th to both.

I'm a little miffed that Google decided to honor Darwin over Lincoln though. I was hoping they would do something that honored both - perhaps one side of their logo be Lincoln and the other being Darwin. But that might look tacky. Maybe Google sees themselves as more science than politics (debatable since Google admits to censoring content, which always results in political sway) but that's another topic.